Antarctic Krill Vertical Migration Data from RV Investigator Voyage IN2021_V01 (TEMPO)

Updated: 2026-07-07

This dataset contains processed acoustic, biological, and environmental data collected during the Marine National Facility (MNF) RV Investigator research voyage IN2021_V01, Quantifying krill abundance for krill monitoring and management off the Australian Antarctic Territory. The voyage was conducted between 29 January and 24 March 2021, departing from and returning to Hobart, Australia, as part of the 2021 Trends in Euphausiids off Mawson, Predators, and Oceanography (TEMPO) survey in East Antarctica. The dataset comprises processed echosounder observations from the KOMBI (Krill Observational Mooring for Benthic Investigations) mooring, Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) target strength data used for biomass estimation, historical krill length-frequency data, and interpolated chlorophyll concentrations for the Prydz Bay region. These data support investigations of Antarctic krill abundance, seasonal vertical migration patterns, and particulate organic carbon (POC) export associated with krill faecal pellet production. The dataset provides a valuable resource for studies of Southern Ocean ecosystem dynamics, biological carbon cycling, and ecosystem modelling, contributing to improved understanding of carbon sequestration processes and the parameterisation of biogeochemical models.title